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Figueroa Wu Family Foundation

THE FIGUEROA WU FAMILY FOUNDATION WORKS FOR COMMUNITY WELLNESS, TARGETING HUNGER, FIGHTING RACIAL AND ECONOMIC INEQUITIES, AND PRO...Learn more

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Evelyn Figueroa is fundraising
Help the Pilsen Food Pantry Feed Hungry Chicagoans
The Pilsen Food Pantry has been serving our food insecure neighbors for nearly seven years (since 1/2/18). Monday through Friday, 600 households are given 30,000 pounds of fresh produce, frozen proteins, dairy, shelf stable foods, and household items. Clients visits twice monthly and we have no neighborhood restrictions (although 80% of our clients come from zip codes 60608, 60616, & 60609). So far, we have distributed over 6,000,000 pounds of food! We want to keep feeding our neighbors :)

In 2019, we expanded services with our Little Library and, in 2020, a free store with clothing & housewares (El Mercadito Gratis). We also provide free medical supplies and sponsor Clinica Nuevas Raices, a free clinic for the un-/underinsured. Please help us raise $100,000 to cover 20% of our operational costs.
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147 supporters
Sara Izquierdo is fundraising
The Mobile Migrant Health Team

Join us in making a difference! The Mobile Migrant Health Team- Chicago Chapter is raising money in collaboration with the Figueroa Wu Family Foundation to provide mobile health assessments to migrants and refugees currently in Chicago Police Stations and other shelter spaces!

Any donation will help make an impact towards stocking over the counter medications, equipment, and hygiene & health supplies! Our team of physicians, public health experts, and medical students has administered health assessments in 3 different police stations and shelters in the past week. This funding will allow the team to expand our coverage area and capacity!

More information about Figueroa Wu Family Foundation: The Figueroa Wu Family Foundation works for community wellness, targeting hunger, fighting racial and economic inequities, and providing an inviting space for learning and cultural engagement. We address social and health injustices through lenses of empowerment, collaboration, and sustainability.

Our main anti-poverty programs are the Pilsen Food Pantry, the Medical Access Closet (free PT & medical supplies), the Clothes Closet, and the Little Library.
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417 supporters
Tricia Pendergrast is fundraising
The Pilsen Food Pantry Needs Your Support!
Medical care is estimated to account for only 10 to 20% of the modifiable contributors to healthy outcomes for a population. The other 80 to 90% include socioeconomic factors and environmental factors. As medical students training in Chicago, we bear witness to how inequality shapes our patients' health and lives.

In celebration of Match Day and graduation from medical school, please consider supporting an organization that works to address socioeconomic inequality in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago: The Pilsen Food Pantry.

The Pantry aims to improve health and social outcomes through the distribution of fresh, culturally-appropriate food. Personal and household items such as clothing, menstrual supplies, phyiscal therapy supplies, toothpaste, and light bulbs are also distributed.

The Pilsen Food Pantry has provided food and emergency supplies to over 32,000 Chicago households yearly since its inception in 2018. On average, the Pantry provides healthy meals to 411 Chicago households per week along with books, clothing, medical devices, and school supplies.

No donation is too small as an anonymous donor has committed to matching all donations up to $75,000.

Battling Food Insecurity in Chicago

Pilsen Nonprofit Tackles Food Insecurity
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41 supporters
Claudia Strong is fundraising
Help Family of 5yr old Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero
**This is the ONLY OFFICIAL fundraiser approved by the parents of Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero. Thank you!**

Please donate: https://gofund.me/a6e611f2

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We invite you to join us in a compassionate effort to support Johana and Orlando, a Venezuelan asylum-seeking family facing an unimaginable loss. Just two weeks after arriving in Chicago, their world was shattered with the unexpected death of their bright and joyful 5-year-old son, Jean Carlos "Jeremías" Martinez Rivero. On December 17, 2023, Jean Carlos died after falling ill in a densely populated migrant shelter in Pilsen. Jean Carlos survived the treacherous journey from South America to Chicago only to lose his life days later. We are heart broken by the loss of Jean Carlos and the family’s shattered hope of a better future.

In addition to their profound grief, Johana and Orlando are struggling to find a stable living arrangement and provide for the needs of their 2-year-old son, Isaías. The family is mourning Jean Carlos’ loss while experiencing homelessness. On January 11, 2024, they are slated to a public shelter system, the same type of environment where they experienced Jean Carlos’ traumatic loss. We hope to raise at least $25,000 to support Johana, Orlando, and Isaías with at least a year of stable housing. Your donations will also cover essential living costs, such as utilities (gas, electric, internet, phones), groceries, and asylum/immigration filing fees. This support will create a space for them to mourn, honor the memory of sweet Jean Carlos, and begin the process of healing in a safe and secure environment while attempting to move forward without their beloved son.

Your donation of any amount is a powerful act of empathy and humanity. It is not just financial support, it is a symbol of solidarity. You will be standing alongside Johana, Orlando, and Isaías, offering them comfort and a semblance of stability as they navigate this challenging period in a new country.

In order to minimize credit card fees, the Figueroa Wu Family Foundation, sponsor of the Pilsen Food Pantry and other anti-poverty services, will be acting as the fiduciary administrator for this campaign. The funds are being raised by community organizers Claudia Strong and Veronica Saldaña and will be saved in a separate bank account. This will ensure that the funds are prioritized for the Martinez Rivero family’s housing and immigration costs. Thank you for your consideration.

Claudia Strong & Veronica Saldaña
258 supporters
Evelyn Figueroa is fundraising
Fall Pantry Appeal - Produce to the People!
The Pilsen Food Pantry has served 80,000 households since opening in January 2018. Year after year, volume has increased by 30-40% and we do all that we can to respond to community challenges. We are now feeding over 500 households weekly (plus migrant services, clothing, medical supplies, and literacy tools). Proceeds from this fundraiser will help us purchase 50,000 pounds of fresh produce and culturally responsive registration costs.
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77 supporters
Evelyn Figueroa is fundraising
Help the Pilsen Food Pantry Renovate its New Home
The Pilsen Food Pantry opened its tiny doors in January 2018. Little by little, with the help of our volunteers, staff, supporters, and donors, we have grown our anti-poverty services to not only include emergency food, but also clothing, school supplies, medical equipment, books, and special holiday distributions. The COVID pandemic put a tremendous strain on people everywhere and the pantry responded to needs by tripling outputs.

Since its beginning, the Pilsen Food Pantry has served over 90,000 households with clothing, books, school supplies, medical equipment, 3.4 million pounds of food, and more. The pantry is open Monday through Friday, has only four full-time and three part-time employees, and relies on a wonderful volunteer community to get resources into the hands that need them most.

Although we had hoped to stay on Throop Street forever and are so grateful for the opportunity to use the space with the community, we were not able to purchase the old Holy Trinity Church from its owner. Throughout our struggle to stay on Throop Street, we never stopped looking for an alternative location. We purchased 2124 South Ashland Avenue on 3/3/23 and it is a space that can accommodate the pantry, clothes closet, literacy services, wellness programs, and community events. The Ashland location is also more accessible for people with disabilities and we hope to develop a green roof in 2024.

Our new home will be wonderful, but needs a little bit of work first. From moving around walls to widening the service ramp to replacing floors, we have a lot of repairs and finishing to perform. We estimate a renovation budget of $175,000-190,000. We have lots of financing ideas - from community painting events to working with local trade unions to fundraising. An anonymous donor has committed to a $75,000 match and we hope you can help us achieve this ambitious goal.

How we will use your support:

HVAC repairs

Tuckpointing - outside and basement walls

Widen ramp and service door

Glass storefront with ADA entrance ramp

1st floor (pantry & closet) demo/framing/drywall/paint

2nd floor (community space & teaching kitchen) demo/framing/drywall/paint

Bathroom repairs (burst pipes x 3)

Basement west stairwell replacement

1st floor flooring

2nd floor flooring

Basement flooring

Electrical repairs

Thank you for helping us complete our first five years and we look forward to many more years of serving Pilsen and its neighbors. Onwards & upwards!!!!

With gratitude and optimism,

Pilsen Food Pantry Staff: Steve, Natalia, Jesse, Veronica, Tina, Andi, and Bill (plus our cats Bodega & Meeko)

Figueroa Wu Family Foundation Board: Evelyn Figueroa, MD, Alex Wu, MD, Brit De La Parra, Amy Bolton, Cynthia Cycon, Jaime Garza, Cristina Galvan, Frank Monreal
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149 supporters
Liz Nando is fundraising
Pilsen Food Pantry New Home
Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit Figueroa Wu Family Foundation, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause which means so much to me.

Let's help the Pilsen food pantry move into their new permanent space! They will be offering the same services in addition to new resources for the Pilsen community. Let's try and reach a goal as a unit. We can do it!

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16 supporters
Evelyn Figueroa is fundraising
Octoberfest 2022 Fundraiser
We are fundraising to help support rising costs due to the increased number of families that turn to the Pilsen Food Pantry for emergency food services. Prior to COVID, the pantry helped 160-180 families weekly; now we average 360 households. In September, we broke records with over 400 visitors. To respond to our neighbors' needs, we have hired more staff and even purchase fresh produce. Our biggest zip codes are 60608, 60616, and 60632, communities with few to no food pantries for struggling families. Please help us meet our fundraising goal and continue to provide the support families experiencing poverty need to be healthy and well. Food is a human right!

The Pilsen Food Pantry is the largest program of the Figueroa Wu Family Foundation Foundation', an emergency food pantry open Monday through Friday. Each week, the Pantry distributes over 24,000 pounds of food to families in need, plus more than 2000 pounds of food/supplies to fellow mutual aid organizations and street medicine groups. Of course, food insecurity is a proxy for poverty and we have worked to respond to other community needs. Other programs include a free clothing program, a pro bono physical therapy and medical supply program, literacy services (book box, Headstart enrollment, and school supplies), free food delivery for homebound clients, and seasonal distributions (holiday meals, December gifts, and more).

The Figueroa Wu Family Foundation was founded in 2017 by Drs. Evelyn Figueroa & Alex Wu, two family physicians from immigrant families. They have worked in safety net settings their entire careers and strive to improve community health. Again and again, they saw how the health of their patients suffered due to decreased access to basic human needs. In 2018, Evelyn and Alex formed an antipoverty organization that mainly serves people on the lower west side of Chicago. Community needs continue to grow and in 2021 the Foundation provided over $2.6M of services to 23,000 families. Addressing social determinants of health is the public health crisis of our lifetime and the Foundation is committed to creating sustainable solutions for directing community resources equitably.

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96 supporters
Evelyn Figueroa is fundraising
Octoberfest Pilsen Food Pantry Fundraiser
Since 2018, the Figueroa Wu Family Foundation has served nearly 50,000 families. Until October 31st, a private donor will match up to $100,000 and we need your help! Your donations will be used to help us secure a long-term location for our emergency food program, free clothing store, medical access projects, literacy outreach, and other anti-poverty work. Double your impact and show our Chicago community how much you care.

More information about the Pilsen Food Pantry and its social health advocacy programs may be found at www.pilsenfoodpantry.com, www.figueroawufamilyfoundation.com, and www.pilsensocialhealthinitiative.com

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358 supporters
GEMSSA UIC is fundraising
GEMSSA Campaign for Pilsen Food Pantry
Help GEMSSA raise money to benefit the Pilsen Food Pantry.

As of March 2020, 1 in 3 Chicago families are food insecure and the incidence is nearly twice as high in Black and Brown communities. The Pilsen Food Pantry aims to address health and social outcomes through the direct distribution of high quality and culturally-appropriate foods.

Started in January 2018 by the Figueroa-Wu Family, the Pilsen Food Pantry is supported mainly by volunteers, including medical students, family medicine residents, UI Health Volunteer Services, and community members. Due to rapid growth and a newly established COVID19 testing center co-location the food pantry is now located at 1850 S Throop.

With your generous contributions, we aim to raise $2000 to help those with food insecurity. Please visit the Figueroa Wu Family Foundation to learn more about the Pilsen Food Pantry and the other amazing services you can support.
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40 supporters

About Figueroa Wu Family Foundation

THE FIGUEROA WU FAMILY FOUNDATION WORKS FOR COMMUNITY WELLNESS, TARGETING HUNGER, FIGHTING RACIAL AND ECONOMIC INEQUITIES, AND PROVIDING AN INVITING SPACE FOR LEARNING AND CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT. WE ADDRESS SOCIAL AND HEALTH INJUSTICES THROUGH LENSES OF EMPOWERMENT, COLLABORATION,AND SUSTAINABILITY.

2437 North Fairfield AvenueChicago, IL 60647

Find Figueroa Wu Family Foundation at

Causes

Human services, Community and economic development, Antidiscrimination

Established

2018

Tax ID

82-3588604

NTEE code

Human Service Organizations

Figueroa Wu Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 82-3588604. Donations are tax-deductible. Select content is provided by GuideStar.

Recent Donations

Ellen Barton donated to Help the Pilsen Food Pantry Feed Hungry Chicagoans
$1003 d
Young Kim donated to Help the Pilsen Food Pantry Feed Hungry Chicagoans
$10019 d
Mike Gedville donated to Help the Pilsen Food Pantry Feed Hungry Chicagoans
$10020 d
Susan Pastin donated to The Mobile Migrant Health Team
$271 mo
Jen Brown donated to The Mobile Migrant Health Team
$2001 mo
Northwestern University Menstrual Equity Activists donated to The Mobile Migrant Health Team
$3101 mo
Anonymous donated to Help the Pilsen Food Pantry Feed Hungry Chicagoans
$51 mo
Mimi Arquilla donated to Help the Pilsen Food Pantry Feed Hungry Chicagoans
$2002 mos
Rachel Dilworth donated to Help the Pilsen Food Pantry Feed Hungry Chicagoans
$202 mos
Erica Gunderson donated to Help the Pilsen Food Pantry Feed Hungry Chicagoans
$1002 mos